HL Deb 24 June 1981 vol 421 cc1059-60

2.48 p.m.

Lord Braye

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that surface control indicators (ground radar) are installed at Gatwick Airport as soon as possible in view of the fact that Gatwick Airport has only one main runway.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade (Lord Trefgarne)

My Lords, I understand that the Civil Aviation Authority plan to instal an aerodrome surface surveillance radar at Gatwick on the new visual control room, which they hope to open in spring 1984. I understand that the new visual control room will provide a good site for this kind of equipment which will assist the safe and expeditious movement of traffic at night and at other times when visibility is low.

Lord Braye

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend for his kind Answer, may I ask him whether it might be possible to bring this project forward? A lot of money has been spent at Gatwick, and this is a safety project which is essential in foggy weather. I should be grateful if this project could be given some priority.

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I doubt that it will be possible to bring the project forward, but I can assure my noble friend that there is no question of any degradation of safety in the absence of this equipment pending its installation in 1984.

Baroness Burton of Coventry

My Lords, may I ask the Minister whether the Government are quite adamant in insisting that there shall be only one main runway at Gatwick? May I furthermore ask him on that point whether it is not true that a second main runway would not mean greater traffic, and therefore greater noise, but would add considerably to the safety aspect?

Lord Trefgarne

No, my Lords, I do not think that is correct. It would not be true to say that there would be any enhancement of the safety at Gatwick if a second runway was constructed. Secondly, if it were to be constructed—and I must confirm that it is Government policy that that should not be so—there would, as the noble Baroness rightly points out, only indeed be a modest increase in the capacity of the aerodrome.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords, does my noble friend know of any airport in the world with the projected movements at Gatwick and which has only one runway?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I think my noble friend is referring to the annual throughput of passengers which is projected for Gatwick in due course.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

Movements, my Lords.

Lord Trefgarne

My noble friend refers to movements, my Lords. At the present time, there are at Gatwick, if my memory serves me right, about 100,000 movements a year and I certainly cannot offhand think of another aerodrome of that size, but, then, the facilities at Gatwick will be very substantially improved between now and when we expect to reach the new targets.

The Earl of Selkirk

My Lords, are the Government intending to put surface control indicators at any other airports, that system representing very substantial added security and safety?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I do not think it is true to say that the safety records of airports with this equipment are necessarily better than those without it—

Several noble Lords

Oh?

Lord Trefgarne

—but the improvement that is provided by this equipment is a more effective use of the facilities because it is obviously possible to maintain the necessary safety standards by procedural means, but at a somewhat lower capacity.